Deuteronomy 3:25

“I pray thee, let me go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, etc.] The land of Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey; a land which he describes as a most excellent one, (<050807>Deuteronomy 8:7,8). To see this land, he was very desirous of going over the river Jordan, beyond which it lay with respect to the place where he now was: that goodly mountain, and Lebanon; or, “that goodly mountain, even Lebanon”; which lay to the north of the land of Canaan, and was famous for cedar and odoriferous trees. But if two distinct mountains are meant, the goodly mountain may design Mount Moriah, on which the temple was afterwards built, and of which Moses might have a foresight; and…”

“I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon--The natural and very earnest wish of Moses to be allowed to cross the Jordan was founded on the idea that the divine threatening might be conditional and revertible. "That goodly mountain" is supposed by Jewish writers to have pointed to the hill on which the temple was to be built (Deu 12:5; Exo 15:2). But biblical scholars now, generally, render the words--"that goodly mountain, even Lebanon," and consider it to be mentioned as typifying the beauty of Palestine, of which hills and mountains were so prominent a feature.”

“That goodly mountain - i. e., that mountainous district. The fiat districts of the East are generally scorched, destitute of water, and therefore sterile: the hilly ones, on the contrary, are of more tempered climate, and fertilized by the streams from the high grounds. Compare Deuteronomy 11:11. The whole of this prayer of Moses is very characteristic. The longing to witness further manifestations of God’s goodness and glory, and the reluctance to leave unfinished an undertaking which he had been permitted to commence, are striking traits in his character: compare Exodus 32:32 ff; Exodus 33:12, Exodus 33:18 ff; Numbers 14:12 ff. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Let me go over - For he supposed God's threatening might be conditional and reversible, as many others were. That goodly mountain - Which the Jews not improbably understood of that mountain on which the temple was to be built. This he seems to call that mountain, emphatically and eminently, that which was much in Moses's thoughts, though not in his eye. Deuteronomy 3:28”

“the good land: Deu 4:21, Deu 4:22, Deu 11:11, Deu 11:12; Exo 3:8; Num 32:5; Eze 20:6 Lebanon: Lebanon is a long chain of limestone mountains, extending from near the coast of the Mediterranean on the west to the plains of Damascus on the east, and forming the extreme northern boundary of the Holy Land. It is divided into two principal ridges, running parallel to each other in a north-north-east direction; the most westerly of which was properly called Libanus, and the easterly Anti-Libanus. the Hebrews did not make this distinction. It is computed to be fifteen or sixteen hundred fathoms in height. They are by no means barren, but are almost all well cultivated and well peopled; their…”